Honestly, if you've been following the foldable scene for a while, you’ve probably felt that "same-old, same-old" fatigue. Samsung has been the king of the mountain for years, but let’s be real: the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 redesign is the first time in a long time they actually seem scared of the competition.
It’s not just about a faster chip or a new color. It’s about a total shift in how the phone feels in your hand.
The "Squat" Factor: Why the Shape Changed
For six generations, Samsung stuck to that "remote control" vibe—a tall, narrow cover screen that made typing a nightmare for anyone with human-sized thumbs. That’s dead now.
The most jarring part of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 redesign is the new aspect ratio. We’re looking at a 6.5-inch cover display that finally feels like a normal phone. It’s wider. It’s 21:9. Basically, you can actually use it without unfolding the thing every five seconds just to reply to a text.
When you do pop it open, you’re greeted by a massive 8-inch internal screen. That’s a jump from the 7.6-inch panel we’ve seen for years. It’s basically a square tablet in your pocket.
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Does it actually fit in a pocket?
Actually, yes. Even though the screens got bigger, the whole chassis went on a serious diet. We’re talking 8.9mm thin when closed. To put that in perspective, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is around 8.2mm.
The Fold is finally getting close to "normal phone" thickness.
The Hinge and the "Invisible" Crease
We’ve all seen it. That valley in the middle of the screen that catches the light at the worst possible time. Samsung’s new "Armor FlexHinge" is supposed to fix this, or at least make it way less annoying.
The new structure uses a multi-rail system. It’s thinner, lighter, and supposedly 10% stronger than the old one. But the real win is the screen itself. It’s about 50% thicker this time around, which sounds counterintuitive for a thin phone, right? But that extra thickness in the ultra-thin glass (UTG) helps it stay flatter when open.
Early reports from people who’ve handled the device say the crease is nearly gone when you’re looking at it head-on. It’s still there if you go hunting for it with a flashlight, but for daily scrolling? It’s a massive leap.
Cameras: Finally, No More "Fold Tax"
This is what most people got wrong about previous Folds. You’d pay $1,900 and get worse cameras than the $1,200 Ultra. That was always a bitter pill to swallow.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 redesign finally brings the 200MP main sensor over from the S25 Ultra.
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- Main: 200MP with that crazy detail.
- Ultrawide: 12MP (now with autofocus, finally).
- Telephoto: 10MP with 3x optical zoom.
It’s still not quite as good as the S26 Ultra (which is already being teased for a late February 2026 launch), but it’s the closest we’ve ever been. Samsung is also leaning hard into their "ProVisual Engine." It’s basically a bunch of AI math that cleans up noise in night videos. Kinda creepy how well it works, but hey, your concert footage will actually look good for once.
The S Pen Drama
Okay, this part is messy.
There was a huge rumor that the Fold 7 would lose S Pen support to stay thin. That turned out to be half-true. The phone doesn't have a built-in slot for the pen—it’s just too thin for that.
But there’s a new S Pen in town. It’s thicker, more ergonomic, and uses a new signal-based tech rather than the old digitizer layer. This saved about 0.6mm of thickness in the screen. The catch? Your old Fold pens probably won’t work on this one. You’ll need the new one, which is likely sold separately (classic Samsung).
Real Talk: The Battery and Charging
Here is the part that’s honestly disappointing.
Despite the massive 8-inch screen and the beastly Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, the battery is still stuck at 4,400 mAh. Samsung is betting everything on the efficiency of the 3nm processor to get you through the day.
And the charging? Still 25W. In a world where Chinese foldables are hitting 66W or even 100W, Samsung is playing it very safe. They’re clearly still haunted by the Note 7 days. They’d rather you wait an hour to charge than risk a "spicy pillow" situation.
Software: One UI 8 and Gemini Live
The Fold 7 is the first to really showcase One UI 8. It’s built around Google’s Gemini Live.
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Imagine talking to your phone and it actually understanding that you’re looking at a specific photo or a weirdly formatted spreadsheet. You can drag and drop AI-generated images directly into your emails. It’s smooth.
Plus, they’re promising 7 years of updates. So, this phone should technically be relevant until 2033. That’s a long time to keep a hinge moving.
What You Should Actually Do
If you’re sitting on a Fold 5 or 6, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 redesign is probably the first time an upgrade actually feels "new" rather than just "better." The wider cover screen is a life-changer for daily usability.
Next Steps:
- Check your trade-in values now; Samsung usually offers the best deals in the first two weeks of launch.
- If you’re a heavy S Pen user, prepare to buy the new model—the old ones are effectively paperweights for this specific screen tech.
- Keep an eye on the "Z TriFold" rumors if you want a 10-inch screen, but be prepared to pay significantly more than the standard Fold 7 price.
The era of the "skinny" Fold is over. Samsung finally made a phone that works just as well closed as it does open.